W-alking the W-alk

[captainsblog]

One more reason to love my favorite client, even if they're the only one who pays me less annually than I pay them:

Wegmans to Stop Selling Tobacco

Wegmans Food Markets Inc. will stop selling cigarettes and other tobacco products beginning Feb. 10, spokeswoman Jo Natale said this morning.

Until that date, only remaining inventory will be available for sale and no new product will be ordered, she said.

In a letter to employees dated Jan. 7, Wegmans Chief Executive Officer Danny Wegman and his daughter, President Colleen Wegman, said the company decided to stop selling tobacco products mainly because Wegmans cares about its employees.

A smoking cessation program will be offered to employees this year, according to the letter.

Now that's a ballsy move in a business where profit margins are measured in fractions of pennies.  It'll be interesting to see how Tops here, and their other competitors elsewhere, react. What're they gonna do, start promoting their coffin nails? (I don't think Tops can match them in dropping ciggie sales; they could never give up such a "benefit" to their union employees without a strike.)

Let me begin the campaign here:

Comments

[headbanger118.livejournal.com]

I love the double speak about smoking. Cigs are considered the devils playthings, but a good Cuban cigar...that's another story. The "ritzy" mall in Charlotte has a high end tobacco shop right among Tiffany's, Burberry, Nordstrom's, and Louis Vuitton. Heh.